


What I Know

by InediblePeriwinkle



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, last two mentioned only - Freeform, little dialogue mostly musings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27018502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InediblePeriwinkle/pseuds/InediblePeriwinkle
Summary: Interesting thing about Henry, his skills are wildly famous but everything else is completely under wraps. He's an interesting guy, and Charles has been paying attention since the day they met.
Relationships: Charles Calvin/Henry Stickmin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 274





	What I Know

When then-Captain Galeforce had briefed Charles on the chilly morning of the airship mission, he’d understandably been surprised. 

“Sir?” He’d said, the most respectful way to say 

_What in the actual fuck?_

“We’ve got his location, they’re bringing him now,” The Captain had hit stride with Warrant Officer Calvin, headed towards the helicopter. “His set of skills are just what we need if we’re getting inside.” 

“What do we know about him, Sir?” Charles asked, already thinking of fifty thousand ways a dangerous criminal could make trouble for him on one of his aircrafts. 

“Of his past? Not much,” The Captain admitted, “But all we’re concerned about is what he can do.”

Charles said nothing, frowning, nodding to the rest of the crew as he started his pre-flight checks. 

_But can we trust him? With something this important, especially?_

What he can do is part of the problem. He was bold, unpredictable, and seemed not averse to violence. Charles wasn’t particularly keen on having the man inside an enclosed space hurtling through the air at insane speeds. And they had better strike the fear of god into him from the get-go. 

Charles hadn’t known anything about Henry Stickmin in the beginning, and it was something that became less worrying and more just sort of…annoying, then shifted to something longing. 

His brain had went a little offline for a second, seeing the wiry figure suit up in the body of his helicopter. The build of a survivor, someone good at being quick and sneaking and not at all to be trusted. He had to remember that, keep the game face on, keep his default-friendly personality in check. 

The guy had glanced at him, briefly, as Captain G introduced him as ‘Charlie’. 

_Oh. Oh, hello. Who are you?_

He didn’t look like what he pictured. He was ordinary looking, tall and thin but honestly a bit forgettable, the sort of person who would blend into a crowd. But he was still handsome, in a way. There was a crafty sort of look in dark eyes, something almost intoxicating. He had a secretive, smirking way of smiling that sent Charles’ heart fluttering. 

That wasn’t unusual for him, attaching onto someone from first sight alone, and he’d remained calm and professional throughout the mission. 

And that was where things shifted. 

This dangerous criminal listened to everything he said, asked for help, came through with the intel and returned in less than an hour. Quicker than they could ever have anticipated, and he hadn't defected or even caused a single problem the whole way through. He'd completed it all like a trained operative agent, stumbling back onto the helicopter with wind-swept hair and a wild and fierce expression that nearly bowled him over. 

The Captain was over the moon, already basking in congratulations, fairly throwing them towards the thief himself. Once they landed, Charles went to shake the guy’s hand personally. To be friendly, is all.

Henry Stickmin’s gaze had swiveled, and for the first time his smile completely reached his eyes, lighting them up. 

_Oh no. You’re going to be a problem for me, aren’t you?_

Charles reined himself in, clapping the guy on the shoulder and congratulating him on the intel gathering. Henry had beamed, eyebrows scrunched in a way almost affectionate, as if Charles had been an old friend. Oh yes, he knew he was in trouble. He was falling hard and he knew nothing about this guy. 

Nothing at all, except for hearing from him on and off for months, then he totally went offline. Charles had spent a little too much time wondering over that. Spending time at night where he should be getting much needed rest staring up at a ceiling fan spinning in the dark. Wondering where on this Earth he was right now. 

_Did you go back to stealing things? Swiping shiny jewelry, breaking into museums?_

And then he’d reappeared on his radar. Or on his private phone line. 

He’d called for help, out of the blue, for a pickup. Him and a friend. He’d literally called Charles’ private line and said ‘hey, can you come pick me up’ like Charles was a soccer mom with a minivan and not a busy covert ops pilot on an active mission. 

Currently on an active mission. And he’d still tried to swing it. 

Charles had called the now-General and no matter what General G said, _he did not beg_ for a sanction. The General had just been feeling particularly charitable that day, and anyway Charles suspected he really liked Henry at heart. 

He’d come to the meetup point, landed, and that’s where he met his second-ever best friend. 

“Any friend of Henry’s is a friend of mine,” He’d told Ellie Rose, who’s cautious expression had melted into a reluctant smile. Across the body of the helicopter, Henry had shot him a dazzling sort of smile. 

And yeah, the two of them got roped into Charles’ mission. They’d been absolutely willing, Ellie had stepped right up and agreed before even asking Henry. And then it was three, the best squad ever in the making. 

They sabotaged the takeoff without any outside help, Henry had been quick to think up plans and Ellie was the perfect enforcer: trusting and quick but with enough sense to question when something sounded like it might go awry. 

And then him, the government agent, the solid backup in anything at all they would need. 

He’d been commended by The General and, as a reward, been offered a position as a squad leader of what became affectionately called **Triple Threat**. 

He’d loved it. Both the thieves had agreed in eagerness that shocked him, honestly, and there you go. That was their origin story, a wild ride of an action-packed blockbuster that would sell out all tickets in the theater nightly. He was over the moon. 

But yeah, at that moment he’d kind of looked at the two of them and…

Look, if there’s a guy and a girl kind of the same age that go through hell together and come out triumphant, society expects something. You know. And he’d thought…huh. Don't like how I feel about that, I feel like a shitty human being, wondering this-

_Are you in love with her?_

But he didn’t ask, because he didn’t know anything about him. It wasn’t his business. He didn’t know anything at all, except for his first and last name and some of the crimes he’d committed. 

And then it was three. He grew to adore Ellie, and she might act nonchalant but she loved both of them, too. He had a little family on base, an incredible team that actually liked spending time with each other outside of work. They were a family, and happy. 

And he didn’t know anything about him. Anything at all. 

And then Henry started mentioning things. Little ones, at first. 

_I started seriously stealing when I was twelve._

_I used to live in the midwestern united states._

_I was an only child._

Then, as time passed, he’d elaborate. 

_I wasn’t a sad, hungry orphan, we were rich._

_I was born in Illinois._

_My parents are still alive._

Then, he started confiding in Charles. Not just stating facts, but how he felt. 

_I stole because I wanted to, and I still want to, but I can make this work. I want to make this work, sometimes it’s frustrating but I’m trying._

_Hey, since we’re in Chicago, let me take you to this place with insanely good Indian food…no really, my treat, I’ve kind of missed this place. I sometimes miss what my life was like back then._

_My parents are alive, but I don’t know if they know what I do. I don’t know if I want them to or not. Is it bad I never want to see them again?_

And all he could do was try to keep up with the breaks in the dam, be a support, to tumble over him self with his own words. 

_I think you’re doing great and I’m glad you want to stay._

_Show me what you remember, tell me what’s different, I’ll pay for dessert down the street at this extremely expensive sweet shoppe if you treat me here, we’ll be going back and forth forever._

_You don’t have to have contact with anyone you don’t want to talk to, we’re nearly thirty, Hen, nobody can tell us what to feel._

And with every new secret revealed, the bond between them felt so much stronger. Henry’s smiles were exclusively genuine, he spoke in full sentences in complete comfort when it was just his friends, and he even started answering questions from Charles. 

_“No, you waking me up at ungodly hours of the night to talk about something dumb actually and genuinely doesn’t bother me, as long as you don’t care that sometimes I fall asleep while you do. Your voice is stupidly soothing.”_

_“Yes, I did memorize your phone number when you first gave it to me. How else did I call you from a guard’s phone?”_

“What?” Henry laughed at his latest question, stretched out on Charles’ couch with his sneakers on the cushions, “No, I’ve never dated Ellie.” 

“Oh,” He stared, down at him, lounging comfortably on Charles’ couch like he belonged there. “I wondered.” 

“No, no,” Henry shook his head, smiling, accusatory, “I thought at least _you_ wouldn’t think something like that.” 

“Well…” The pilot wrinkled his nose, “It was a possibility. It’s not like I know that much about you.”

Henry raised an eyebrow up at him. “You know more than most.” 

Ah. 

He settled down, beside him. He sat next to the couch near his shoulder, trying not to look at the way his shirt was riding up above his skinny hips, exposing a lean stomach and a trail of dark hair. 

Henry watched him, arms above his head, a lazy stretch that had lingered into something relaxed and open. A cat basking in comfort. 

He does know more than most people. He'd been given something, that split second where Henry had turned to really look at him for the first time. There had been a single stitch of trust sewn between them, a foundation for an entire quilt of sturdy material draped around their little family. 

Charles leaned against the couch, looking between Henry's eyes. Dark, cunning, endlessly fond. 

"A lot of people wonder," Henry told him quietly, "About me and Ellie." 

"Yeah?" Charles tried to match his tone and it still felt too loud. 

"Yeah." Henry reached, playfully pushing off Charles' headset to be annoying. "Ellie wonders about me and you." 

"What?!"

_Wait, is that a good thing or bad thing?_

Henry grinned, a dark little smile that made his eyes shine. "Yes." 

Charles laughed, nervously, unsure of what angle to take. 

"Well," He couldn't stop talking and it was pure anxiety now, bubbling out of him uncontrollably. "What did you tell her?" 

His thief looked mischievous. "What do you think I told her?" 

What an ass. Charles laughed again, a little more frantically, a little more ramped with anxiety. 

"We're not..." He fumbled over his own words, "I mean, we're not _involved,_ we aren't...dating." 

"Oh, she didn't ask me if we were dating," Henry threw at him unhelpfully, "She asked if we were all over each other whenever we're left alone." 

Charles slammed a heavy door on those thoughts before he could picture anything further than half-lit rooms and desperate, wandering hands. 

Whatever face he must have made, it had Henry laughing at him. Something shaking, soulful. Like that first light after the airship. 

"...You're teasing me," Charles said, a crooked grin tugging at his lips. 

"You see," Henry said, eyes twinkling, "Only you would know that." 

No, Ellie would know that, too, but he had a feeling that wasn't exactly what Henry was saying. 

The two of them were quiet, just watching each other. 

"You're really warm," Henry said, pressing a hand against his sleeveless shoulder, "I can feel you from here." 

"I'm always warm," Charles replied automatically. "But seriously. Serious question." 

Henry raised his eyebrows. Waiting. Charles could tell just by the look in his eyes that he suspected something along the lines of his next question. 

"Is that supposed to be a hint?" The pilot asked, bluntly, "Because that's what I'm getting." 

The smirk on Henry's face softened to something almost tender, and Charles leaned in to lovingly kiss the gentle smile right off his face. 

So it was.


End file.
